Senior Solutions Architect

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

Due to our status as Public Servants, we are not eligible to participate in the Civil Service transfer process. Therefore, while successful candidates can transfer in on their existing terms and conditions, any subsequent transfer out of the College to the Civil Service cannot be guaranteed on existing terms and conditions, and new starter/modernised terms may apply.

The College embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we comply with the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and apply the minimum selection criteria at sift stage of the recruitment process.

Our Vetting

If you are successful at interview, you will be required to undertake pre-employment security checks. You will be sent a security questionnaire which must be accessed within 24 hours.

Please note, these checks can take up to 10 weeks. You will only be offered a start date after the checks have been completed. If the outcome of these checks is not satisfactory, your recommendation for employment will be withdrawn., This post is open to applicants who can meet the College’s nationality, UK residency and vetting requirements.

You will be joining the College’s Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) team at a watershed moment as we accelerate the design and delivery of innovative, AI enabled and data driven solutions across the organisation and wider policing. In this pivotal role, you will design and deliver solutions that translate business needs into coherent, robust and future proof architectures. The tools and platforms you create will transform how frontline officers and staff access and apply policing standards, learning and the evidence base, driving better outcomes for policing and the service.

Reporting to the Digital and Solutions Innovation Lead, you will be responsible for defining, assuring and governing end to end technology solutions. The role also involves ensuring these solutions are scalable, secure, cost effective and aligned to strategic architecture principles, supporting organisational objectives, operational effectiveness and long term transformation.

This role would suit someone with both technical expertise and a sense of vocation, looking to apply their skills to public service, fighting crime and keeping people safe.

Person specification

Some of your responsibilities will include:

• Lead on the design of key technical solutions, setting direction for how systems and services are built and ensuring they are secure, effective and sustainable.
• Providing architectural assurance across programmes and projects, ensuring compliance with agreed standards, principles, and reference architectures.
• Turn operational, legal and organisational needs into secure and reliable technical designs that work across our systems, data and infrastructure and meet national policing standards.
• Engaging with national policing bodies, suppliers, and partners to assess solution proposals and ensure alignment with policing strategies., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Technical Design throughout the Lifecycle: You can create technical designs characterised by high risk, impact, and complexity and lead and guide others in creating technical designs that achieve organisational objectives.
• Problem Definition and Shaping You can frame complex or high-risk problems so solutions can be developed, helping others challenge assumptions, refine requirements, and spot opportunities when defining issues and potential options.
• Architecture communication: You can lead the communication of complicated, complex or risky architecture topics with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Making Architectural Decisions You can make and guide architectural decisions of medium risk and complexity, identify and address cross-team or cross-domain risks, and contribute to developing architectural governance and assurance., * UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Do you have experience in Presentation skills?, * Extensive experience working as a technical solutions architect or backend software developer creating applications using Microsoft and AWS technologies.

• Strong track record in designing and assuring complex digital, data, and technology solutions within large, regulated organisations.
• Proven success in providing architectural leadership across programmes and services, acting as a design authority where required.
• Hands-on delivery of solutions involving AI
• A proven ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders across business, operational, and technical domains., This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills., Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .

Alongside your salary of £66,360, College of Policing contributes £19,224 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

College staff have Public Servant status. As a Public Servant, you are eligible to join the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

The College is a great place to work. We're passionate about our people and offer a wide range of benefits, including (but not limited to):

• Defined benefit pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Up to 31.5 days holiday (this is in addition to 8 public holidays and 1 privilege day)
• Continued professional development and structured career paths
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Flexi-time (for certain grades)
• Benenden Healthcare
• National Dental Plan
• Discounts for on-line shopping
• Free employee support line
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Rewards and recognition scheme
• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.

We also have a number of thriving staff networks that provide the opportunity for advice, support and to drive change. A place to get your voice heard, share experiences and challenge our working practices to ensure equality of opportunity for all.

Our mission is: Leadership, Standards, Performance. This guides our work with individuals, forces, and policing partners towards our vision. We exist to support police officers, police staff and volunteers to deliver the best service to the public. Only through high quality leadership, consistent standards and continual performance improvement can everyone in policing reach their full potential. Our mission guides our work with individual, forces and partners towards our vision. Although we are a relatively small organisation, our work has a big reach. We are uniquely placed to work both with national policing organisations and local forces to support frontline officers, staff and volunteers in their day-to-day roles. We offer a supportive and inclusive environment for people to thrive. Our extensive flexible-working policy, employee wellbeing support, family friendly policies, employers’ network for equality and inclusion membership (ENEI silver award winners), and status as a disability confident leader means everyone can bring their whole self to work.